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AN ADDRESS 

AT THE 

UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT 

ERECrED IN HONOR OF 

THE CORN EXCHANGE REGIMENT, 

ii8th PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. 



^^amammma 




AN ADDRESS 

AT THE 

UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT 

ERECTED BY j 

THE COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE ASSOCIATION 
OF PHILADELPHIA, 

(late corn exchange ASSOCIATION,) 
TO COMMEMORATE 

THE HEROIC SERVICES OF THE CORN EXCHANGE 
REGIMENT, ii8th PENN'A VOLUNTEERS. 



Delivered at "Round Top," on the Gettysburg Battle-Field, 
September 8, 1884, 

BY V 

' ALEXANDER g7cATTELL 



DulCE ET decorum est pro PATRIA MORI. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
THE COMMERCIAL LIST PRINTING HOUSE. 






"r 



^Z. 




Note. 



On Saturday, September 6th, A. D. 1884, the Survivors' 
Association of the 11 8th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers, accompanied by a large number of the members of 
the Commercial Exchange of Philadelphia, and a number of 
invited guests, left the Broad Street Station of the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad in a special train of eight cars. Their des- 
tination was the town of Gettysburg, and their object was to 
unveil with fitting ceremonies the monument erected by the 
Commercial Exchange (formerly the Corn Exchange Associa- 
tion), in honor of the heroes of the 11 8th Regiment who had 
lost their lives in the War of the Rebellion. They were 
accompanied by Company H of the First Regiment of the 
National Guards of Pennsylvania, as an escort. The party 
numbered, in all, about three hundred persons. 

Gettysburg was reached about nine o'clock in the evening. 
The next day being Sunday, the afternoon was spent in visiting 
the battle-field. When the great wave of Southern invasion 
swept up into our own dear State, it was on this memorable 
field that it was met by that grand and successful resistance 
which turned the tide of war in favor of the Federal forces. 
Pennsylvania soldiers under Pennsylvania generals deserved 
well of the State that day. Meade and Reynolds are great 
names which will live with undying fame ; but many a soldier 
lost his life that day, whose patriotism was as earnest and his 



courage as great as that of those great commanders, and to- 
day he lies, perhaps, in a nameless grave. 

Many of those who participated in this excursion had 
been in the thick of the fight, and they recalled how fierce 
and desperate it was. As they passed over the field, they 
remembered with saddened hearts, and spoke in subdued 
tones of the comrades who had lost their lives when the foe 
came charging upon them with a grim determination to con- 
quer, which would have been irresistible had not our soldiers 
been fighting on their native soil in defense of their own 
hearths and homes. 

The ceremonies attending the unveiling of the monument 
took place on Monday, September 8th, on Round Top, and 
were conducted with commendable promptness and precision. 
The Rev. R. F. Innes, of St. Mary's Church, in West Phila- 
delphia, made a prayer which was both patriotic and devout. 
Then Mr. Brice, on behalf of the Commercial Exchange, 
tersely stated the object of the ceremonies, and introduced the 
orator of the day, Ex-Senator Cattell, of New Jersey. 

Dr. H. T. Peck, formerly adjutant of the ii8th, read an 
account of its actions, recounting its battles and campaigns 
from Antietam to Appomattox. Then the monument was 
delivered into the custody of the Gettysburg Monumental 
Association, and an address of reception was made by Hon. 
David A. Buehler, president of that association. A salute 
was fired, the monument was exposed to view, and will stand 
in future time as a tribute to the courage and devotion of the 
soldiers of the iiSth Regiment and of the loyal public spirit of 
the Corn Exchange. 

After the ceremonies were ended, a return was made to 
Gettysburg, and from thence to Philadelphia. The party 
throughout was one of the pleasantest character in every 
respect; every detail had been carefully planned and carried 
into execution with military promptness, and all united in 
expressions of satisfaction. C. B. McM. 



The procession having reached " Round Top," at the 
appointed hour, eleven o'clock, the chairman called the 
assembly to order, and introduced the Rev. R. F. Innes, of 
St. Mary's Church, West Philadelphia, who offered a prayer : 

O God, who art the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords, the almighty Ruler of nations, we adore and 
magnify Thy glorious name for all the great things which Thou has 
done for us, for the civil and religious privileges which we enjoy, and 
for the multiplied manifestations of Thy favor towards us. Grant that 
we may show forth our thankfulness for these Thy mercies, by living in 
reverence of Thy almighty power and dominion, in humble reliance on 
Thy goodness and mercy, and in holy obedience to Thy righteous laws. 
Preserve, we beseech Thee, to our country, the blessings of peace ; restore 
them to nations deprived of them, and secure them to all the people of 
the earth. May the kingdom of the Prince of Peace come, and, reigning in 
the hearts and lives of men, unite them in holy fellowship, that so their 
only strife may be, who shall show forth, with most holy and humble 
fervor, the praises of Him who hath loved them, and made them kings 
and priests unto God. We implore Thy blessings on all in authority, that 
they may have grace, wisdom and understanding, so to discharge their 
duties as most effectually to promote Thy glory, the interest of true 
religion and virtue, and the peace, good order and welfare of this State 
and nation. Continue, O Lord, to prosper our institutions for the pro- 
motion of learning, the diffusion of education, and the advancement of 
Christian truth. Change, we beseech Thee, every evil heart of unbelief, 
and shed the quickening influences of Thy Holy Spirit on all the people 
of this land ; save us from the guilt of abusing the blessings of prosperity 
to luxury and licentiousness, to irreligion and vice, lest we provoke 
Thee, in just judgment, to visit our offenses with a rod, and our sins with 
scourges. And while Thy goodness to us, O God of our salvation, leads 
us to repentance, may we offer ourselves a living sacrifice to Thee, who 
hast preserved and redeemed us through Jesus Christ our Lord, on 
whose merits and mediations alone we humbly rely for the forgiveness 
of our sins and the acceptance of our services, and who liveth and 
reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world with- 
out end. Amen. 

O Almighty God, the sovereign commander of all the world, in 
whose hand is power and might which none is able to withstand, we 
bless and magnify Thy great and glorious name for the victory achieved 



8 

at this place. To Thee, O Lord, be all the glory. Be with us to-day in 
the commemoration of the event. May the remembrance of Thy great 
mercy awaken in us a hearty desire to serve Thee faithfully all the days 
of our life. Bless the members of this regiment, whether present or 
absent. Look down from heaven, O Lord, behold, visit and relieve its 
first colonel. In thy wisdom Thou hast seen fit to bring distress upon 
him. Look upon him with the eyes of Thy mercy, comfort him with a 
sense of Thy goodness, lift up Thy countenance upon him, and give him 
peace. Visit all with Thy rich blessings, grant to those that are still 
living such good things as Thou seest to be for their good, and to those 
who have departed this life, with the sign of faith, grant them, O Lord, 
eternal rest, and may perpetual light shine on them. All which we ask 
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



The following letter from General U. S. Grant was read : 

Long Branch, N. J., y\ugust 26, 1884. 
Hon. a. G. Cattell. 

Dear Sir : — I am just in receipt of your letter of yesterday invit- 
ing me to be present at the unveiling of the monument dedicated to 
the memory of the members of the 11 8th Pennsylvania Volunteers who 
sacrificed their lives in the cause of the Union, to take place the 8th of 
September, under the auspices of the Commercial Exchange of Phila- 
delphia. 

I regret very much that continued lameness will prevent my accept- 
ing this invitation. No one more than myself feels it a duty to honor 
the dead who sacrificed their lives in the cause the 11 8th did, and no one 
appreciates more highly the services rendered by the Union soldiers, 
dead and alive. 

Hoping the monument now erected and about to be dedicated may 
ever serve as a reminder to the descendants of the brave soldiers who 
fought for the preservation of the Union, the sacredness of the cause for 
which they risked their lives, I am 

Very truly, 

Your obedient servant, 

U. S. GRANT. 



Mr. William Brice, Chairman of the Committee of The 
Commercial Exchange, which had been charged with the 
care of erecting the monument, reported the complete fulfill- 
ment of the duties assigned them, and said 

Fellow-citizens : 

We meet here to-day on this historic field, dedicated to the cause of 
the Union and of liberty, to perform the sacred duty of dedicating this 
monument, erected by the Commercial Exchange of Philadelphia in 
honor of the Corn Exchange Regiment, known in military annals as the 
II 8th Pennsylvania Volunteers, — a body of men as noble and heroic, and 
as well deserving of the honor, as any among the hundreds of thousands 
who offered up their lives for liberty. It is not my purpose to pronounce 
an extended eulogy on the grand achievements of this noble body of men ; 
the orator of the day and the historian of the regiment will do that much 
better than I can. I will merely add, that, early in 1862, — those dark 
and gloomy days in our country's history, — the Corn Exchange of Phila- 
delphia appointed a committee of twenty-one to raise, arm, equip, and 
place in the field, at their own expense, a regiment to do battle for the 
Union. This was quickly done, and the Corn Exchange Regiment was 
the result. Of that committee of twenty-one, thirteen have crossed the 
"bourne from which no traveler returns." The honored chairman of 
that committee. I am happy to say, still survives, and is here with us 
to-day, — a gentleman whose patriotism, ardor, and activity in the cause 
of the Union are so well and widely known. He will be your orator on 
this occasion. I allude, of course, to the Hon. A. G. Cattell, ex-Senator 
from New Jersey, whom I have great pleasure in now introducing to you. 

Gentlemen, — The Hon. Alexander G. Cattell. 




ADDRESS: 




E ARE assembled to-day for a high and holy 
purpose. The members of the Corn Exchange 
of Philadelphia, a purely commercial organization, 
conspicuous for its loyalty in the hour of the 
Nation's peril, and for its patriotism at all times, are gathered 
here on this historic and hallowed spot, in the presence of 
this assembly, to perform their closing act in the great drama, 
upon which the curtain rose at Sumter, wellnigh a quarter 
of a century ago. 

We come with reverence to unveil and to dedicate, with 
appropriate and heartfelt ceremonies, the monument which we 
have erected on this consecrated ground, to perpetuate the 
memory of the brave soldiers of the 1 1 8th Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, known always as the Corn Exchange Regiment,^ 
who died that the Nation might live ; and to leave inscribed 
on the enduring granite, our high appreciation of the gallant 



12 

services and heroic virtues, of both the living and the dead, 
and our grateful recognition of the sacrifice they made for our 
common country. May I not rightfully claim, that this is a 
high and holy purpose ? 

It is fitting, on such an occasion, that he who has been 
chosen to voice your sentiments and feelings, should briefly 
and tenderly as he may, recur to some of the early circum- 
stances and incidents in the history of the transaction which 
has led up to this supreme hour. 

In the performance of the duty assigned me, I would not 
wantonly uncover the skeleton of the Civil War, which twenty 
years have almost buried from our sight, nor would I need- 
lessly open afresh the wounds that time has nearly healed. 
But standing on this historic field, whereon the most significant 
battle of the Rebellion was fought — in view of yonder cemetery, 
with its thousands of grassy hillocks, each one of which marks 
the resting-place of a hero slain on this modern Marathon — in 
the presence of these surviving veterans of the war — with the 
surging tide of painful memories the place and the occasion 
invoke, that "will not down at our bidding" — I should 
be false to the dead and false to the living — false to history 
and false to the impulse of my own heart, if I failed to speak 
in earnest words of the righteousness of the cause for which 
these sleeping heroes fought and died, — or hesitated to 
denounce in unmeasured terms, the stupendous folly and 
wickedness of those, who revolted against the most gentle 
and beneficent government ever vouchsafed by God to man, 
and raised the parricidal arm to destroy its life 

Utterly without excuse — conceived in sin and shapen in 
iniquity — prosecuted with malignity, and conducted with 



13 

cruelty — with the sole object of conserving and perpetuating 
the infamous system of human slavery, the Rebellion of 
the Southern States, will stand out on the page of history, 
for all time, as the darkest crime against God and humanity 
that the world has ever witnessed. To save this glorious 
Union, cemented by the blood of our fathers, and to pre- 
serve for our children the priceless inheritance of our free 
government, cost the loyal North the fearful sacrifice of five 
hundred thousand lives, and four thousand millions of treas- 
ure. A magnanimous people, true to their character and 
instincts, in the hour of victory gave to their enemies such 
generous terms — both at the surrender and afterward, as were 
never before accorded to a conquered and prostrate foe. No 
lives were forfeited — no person imprisoned — no property con- 
fiscated — no dollar of indemnity demanded. On the contrary, 
we welcomed our enemies back to the enjoyment of the bless- 
ings of the Union they madly sought to destroy, and many of 
them are now occupying official positions of trust and honor 
and profit in the national government. I do not cavil at this. 
Nay, I rejoice in it. My utterances in private life ever since 
the close of the war, and my acts and votes in the Senate of 
the United States during all the period of reconstruction, will 
justify this statement. But, nevertheless, though we have so 
largely condoned the grievous offense, and magnanimously 
tendered the olive-branch to our foes, we are not thereby 
estopped from our right and duty, on all proper occasions, to 
make a frank and open declaration of our abhorrence of the 
crime. 

I speak in behalf of the voiceless tenants of these graves — 
of our thousands of maimed and suffering soldiers — of the 



widows and orphans, and the desolate hearthstones, all over 
the land, when I arraign for condemnation the authors of this 
cruel war at the bar of public opinion, not only of this land, 
but of the whole civilized world. And I speak for all lovers 
of freedom and friends of humanity, when I declare that the 
Union soldiers, living or dead, who perilled their all for the 
preservation of the Union, fought in a righteous cause, and 
that no mortals ever gave their lives for a higher or nobler 
purpose than the honored dead who sleep within the sacred 
precincts of yonder enclosure — guarded by the watchful care 
of a grateful Nation. 

"On Fame's eternal camping-ground 
Their silent tents are spread, 
And glory guards with solemn round 
The bivouac of the dead." 

And to this silent camping-ground, surviving comrades and 
their children and their children's children — sire and son — 
matron and maiden, shall come with each returning spring, 
bearing their garlands of earth's choicest flowers wherewith to 
decorate these graves; and in the ages to come, long after 
these marble monuments shall have crumbled into dust, un- 
numbered pilgrims, lovers of freedom and friends of humanity, 
not only of this land but of all lands, shall tread this hallowed 
ground, and, kneeling beside these graves, gather therefrom 
inspiration and courage in every conflict for human rights and 
personal freedom that shall be waged in all the wide, wide 
world. 

Illustrious heroes, hail ! and farewell ! Peace to their 
ashes ! everlasting honor to their memory ! 



15 



"How sleep the brave who sink to rest 
With all their country's wishes blest ' 
When Spring with dewy fingers cold 

Returns to deck their hallowed mould 
She there shall dress a sweeter sod 
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod. 

" By fairy hands their knell is rung • 
By forms unseen their dirge is sung- 
There Honor comes, a pilgrim gray ' 

To bless the turf that wraps their clay 
And Freedom shall awhile repair 
To dwell a weeping hermit there." 

its history be my warr.nf f ° ^et a few facts from 

/ uc my warrant for the assertion 

'o engage in the.V ordin r^ ^LToT: I" T' ^""°"'' 
The telegraph had flashed JZTunl Tf' '"' ^°™'"^-=- 

on the previous day rebel cannon H ^"^"""''' "'^' 

Q . , cannon had opened fire on Fnrf 



i6 

troubled hearts. The die was cast — the fatal blow had been struck 
— the flag had been trailed in the dust ; and the Corn Exchange, 
composed of men of all ages, and all creeds, and all shades of 
political opinion, recognized its duty, as it was the duty of 
all true men in this grave emergency, to speak out, and in 
speaking out to give no uncertain sound. After some expres- 
sion of patriotic sentiment by various members, one of their 
number offered a Preamble and Resolution in the following 
words, which were unanimously adopted. 

" Whereas, Armed rebellion has raised its hand against 
the Government of the United States, and is now engaged in 
infamous outrages upon the honor, integrity and safety of our 
beloved country; and 

" Whereas it is the duty of all true men in a crisis 
like the present to express their devotion to the sacred cause 
of their country, and their firm determination never to aban- 
don her to her enemies, therefore, 

^^ Resolved, That the Corn Exchange Association, in the 
manifestation of their unreserved and entire sympathy with the 
administration in this trying hour, and of their earnest desire 
to do all that men may do in behalf of their country, do now 
instruct their Room Committee to purchase immediately, and 
cause to be extended, the insulted but still beloved flag of the 
United States in front of their building before sunset, and to 
keep it flying there under all circumstances." 

Both the letter and spirit of this resolution were faithfully 
kept. Before the sun had sunk behind the western hills, the 
old flag was waving in the breeze, and there it continued to 
wave, in sunshine and in storm, through summer's heat and 



17 

winter's cold, until its honor was vindicated, and its supremacy 
and rightful authority were recognized all over the land. In 
all those long anxious years of conflict which followed, all 
who passed our hall, walked beneath the shadow of that flag, 
and caught something of the patriotic impulse which the sight 
of its graceful folds, recalling its precious memories, always 
inspires. And I venture to remark, in passing, that the best 
Confederate regiment that ever stepped to the music of Dixie 
would not readily have taken that flag down. Following 
almost immediately on this action, a committee of the body 
was formed, and a large fund raised to provide for the needy 
families of the men who had gone to the front. Thousands 
of dollars were contributed by the members, and wisely 
expended by the committee in this beneficent work. 

A year of conflict passed, with the varying fortunes of 
war, and, encouraged by some temporary success, the Rebellion 
had assumed formidable proportions, and was seriously 
threatening the life of the nation, when, in the summer of 1862, 
the President issued his memorable call for a large number of 
additional troops. In response to this call, the Corn Exchange, 
taking another step forward, determined to recruit, under its 
auspices, a full regiment that should join in the grand chorus 
which was swelling up from all parts of the land : " We're 
coming, Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more." 

At a meeting of the Association held July 24, 1862, 
the following action was taken, as appears by the minutes of 
that day. " Mr. Cattell offered the following : 

Whereas, Some of the members have taken the pre- 
paratory steps toward the organization of a regiment, under 



i8 

the auspices of this Association, and have indicated for the 
colonel of said regiment, Captain C. M. Prevost, a gentle- 
man and a soldier; and 

" * Whereas, The Governor of the Commonwealth has 
signified his great pleasure in view of our proposed action, 
therefore be it 

" 'Resolved, That this Association, declaring their undying 
devotion to the country, and their willingness to bear their 
full proportion of the duties which now devolve on every 
good citizen, hereby pledge themselves to give their sympathy 
aid and co-operation to the prompt formation of a regiment 
to be commanded by Captain C. M, Prevost. 

" 'Resolved, That to carry out this purpose a committee of 
twenty-one be appointed by the chairman to collect, by volun- 
tary subscription, the amount of means necessary to organize 
said regiment, and to consult with and aid in all proper ways 
the officers that may be selected to put the regiment in 
fighting trim. 

" 'Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting, that the 
duty of the hour requires of all loyal and true men to aid, by 
their influence, their counsel and means, the prompt enlistment 
of Pennsylvania's proportion of the new call for troops.' 

" The Preamble and Resolutions, as read, were unani- 
mously adopted. 

" It was also moved by Mr. James, and seconded by Mr. 
Budd, that the funds in the hands of the treasurer of the 
Association be contributed to the above object, which was 
also adopted unanimously." 

in accordance with these Resolutions, a committee of 
twenty-one was appointed, of which 1 had the distinguished 



19 

honor of being made chairman, charged with the duty of 
recruiting promptly at least one full regiment of volunteers. 
The necessary means for the payment of a large special 
bounty, in addition to that offered by the Government, and for 
providing unusual equipments, was raised by voluntary con- 
tribution. More than one hundred thousand dollars was sub- 
scribed and expended for this, and the collateral purpose, of 
providing for the needy families of the men who composed 
the regiment. 

As was foreshadowed by the Resolution I have read in 
your hearing, the accomplished gentleman and brave soldier, 
Captain Charles M. Prevost, who had seen service during 
McClellan's Peninsular campaign on the staff of General Frank 
Patterson, was chosen to be our colonel. Under his super- 
vision, aided by the committee, in the incredibly short space 
of twenty days, a regiment of nine hundred and sixty men was 
recruited, equipped, and encamped at Camp Union, on the 
banks of the Schuylkill ; and I venture to say that no finer 
body of undisciplined troops, physically and morally, both 
men and officers, were ever mustered into the Union service. 
Of course, the men were recruited from civil life, and were 
altogether without military education or experience ; and it 
was their officers' hope and expectation, as it was ours, that they 
would remain for at least a couple of months in camp for dis- 
cipline and drill. But the exigencies of the war forbade even 
this, and in a brief fortnight the orders came for their muster 
into service, and their immediate departure for the seat of war. 

I shall never forget that beautiful Sabbath morning on 
which I visited them in camp for the last time, and joined with 
our brave men, many of them accompanied by their wives and 



20 

children, in attending divine service, conducted by that distin- 
guished patriot and preacher known all over the land — Parson 
Brownlow. For many of these soldier boys that Sabbath day 
was the last meeting with their loved ones, until they shall 
meet them in the eternal Sabbath of the Beyond. 

At a late hour of that Sunday night. Colonel Provost was 
awakened from his slumbers with orders to have his regiment 
mustered into the service, and at the Baltimore Depot by day- 
light in the morning. So on the morning of September i, 
1862, in five weeks from the date of the Committee's appoint- 
ment, this splendid and elegantly equipped regiment was 
en route to join the Army of the Potomac. From that hour 
the Corn Exchange followed the boys of theiradoption through- 
out their entire service, not only with their prayers and good 
wishes, but also by frequent visits, on the tented field, of 
committees bearing to them words of affection and encourage- 
ment, and gifts for their comfort. I pause to inquire whether, 
in the light of these facts, I am not justified in claiming that 
the Corn Exchange was conspicuous for its loyalty and fidelity 
to the Union. 

Pardon me for a moment's digression, and for any appa- 
rent egotism, while I say, that after the regiment had gone to 
the field, the Committee, kindly recognizing, and overestimat- 
ing, as I think, my services as chairman, did me the honor 
to remove the flagstaff around which the regiment had been 
gathered at Camp Union, and plant it with the most flattering 
ceremonies on the lawn of my home in New Jersey — unfurling 
from its lofty peak the full garrison flag that had shaded our 
boys in camp. There it stands to-day a loved and valued 
decoration of my grounds, which will link together in grateful 



21 

remembrance, while life shall last, the honor and glory of the 
Corn Exchange Regiment, — and the matchless loyalty of its 
promoter and patron, the Corn Exchange Association. 

A brief history of the heroic deeds and gallant services of 
this regiment has been prepared by one of their number, and 
will be read in your hearing to-day. There is, therefore, little 
need for me to speak in detail of its career. Suffice it to say, 
that, in less than a fortnight from the breaking of camp, the 
regiment had joined the Army of the Potomac and was 
assigned to the First Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army 
Corps. It was with the army in its pursuit of the enemy at 
the time of their audacious invasion of Pennsylvania, and on 
the 20th of September, just twenty days after leaving Phila- 
delphia, was engaged in the battle of Antietam, and on that 
memorable field shed its first blood. Three days afterward 
came the terrific slaughter of the never-to-be-forgotten field of 
Sheppardstown, where our boys received their fearful baptism 
of fire. 

In that brief engagement, which lasted less than thirty 
minutes, the casualties of the regiment were two hundred and 
seventy killed, wounded and missing, being more than one- 
fourth of their entire number, including eleven officers. 
Where all were so brave, privates as well as officers, it would 
seem invidious to speak of individuals. But I may mention 
that among the killed on that fatal day were four as brave and 
noble young officers as ever trod the field of battle. Captains 
Rickets and Saunders, Moore and White, who fell while 
bravely leading their companies, are names that will never be 
forgotten by their comrades, or their friends, or the association 
for which I have the honor to speak to-day. Among the 



22 

wounded was Colonel Prevost, the severity of whose wound 
incapacitated him ever after for field duty, save for the 
brief period when he assumed his command during the 
Chancellorville campaign ; a calamity not only to himself, his 
family and his regiment, but also to the nation, for otherwise, 
I am sure, his talents and his bravery would have won for him 
marked distinction among the conspicuous chieftains of the 
Union Army. 

It has never been satisfactorily explained, perhaps never 
will be, how it came that this particular regiment, new and 
undisciplined, that had never been under fire save once, was 
on that fatal day thrust into the very jaws of death. There 
was fault — or, to say the least, mistake somewhere. 

" Some one had blundered." 

This is neither the time nor the place to enter into the 
question of who was responsible for this blunder. Neverthe- 
less, the fact remains that the two veteran regiments that had 
on that eventful day crossed the Potomac with our men at 
Blackford's ford, were withdrawn without the loss of a single 
man ; while by the unexplained failure to reach them of 
the order to retreat, the newly recruited 1 1 8th were left to 
encounter, single-handed and alone, the veterans of Stonewall 
Jackson's brigade, and to fall under the galling fire of three 
times their own number. It was a sad day for the regiment, 
and a sad day for the Corn Exchange Association. A single 
incident will close my allusion to this battle. The ii8th, 
in obedience to their orders, had crossed the Potomac, and 
passing along a ravine between two abrupt and almost per- 
pendicular hills that skirted the river, had made their way to 



23 

the top of the second bhiff, when, before even their h'nes could 
be formed, the enemy, in superior numbers, with advantage of 
position, and well in line of battle, opened fire upon them. It 
was a fearful trial for a new and untried regiment, — and, grasp- 
ing the situation, the gallant Colonel saw at a glance that the 
only possible salvation from confusion and disorder was to 
rally his men by an order to advance. Seizing the colors of 
the regiment from the hands of the color-bearer, and bearing 
them aloft, he strode to the front, and gave the order to 
charge in the face of the murderous fire of the enemy. It 
was then that he received in his shoulder the Rebel bullet 
which he carries to this day, and which has brought him many 
a weary year of suffering — borne with the bravery of a soldier 
and the fortitude of a Christian. 

It was but the other day I had the pleasure of an inter- 
view with him, and as I looked into his classic face, and noticed 
his almost total loss of vision, and saw by his side the crutches 
upon which he was obliged to depend for support — all the 
result of that cruel bullet, my eyes were dimmed with tears, 
and my heart was drawn to him still closer than ever before. 
He was succeeded in command by good and brave men. First 
by Colonel Gwyn, who was wounded at the battle of the 
Wilderness, and afterward by my gallant friend, then Colonel 
now General Herring, who lost a leg at Dabney's Mills, and 
who, if need be, would peril the other in defense of his 
country, — men whom we honor and respect; but I know no 
tinge of jealou.sy will come to them when I say, that we cling 
with undying affection to General Prevost as our first colonel 
and our first love. May God bless him ! 

In regard to the further services of the i i8th I have onh- 



24 

time to add, that from the day of their baptism of fire at Shep- 
pardstown, throughout all the long and arduous years of the 
war, until the day of Appomatox dawned in resplendent glory 
on the Union arms, it made a part of the victorious army of 
the Potomac, and is entitled to a share of its renown. At the 
battle of Gettysburg, which has made the ground on which 
we stand, and these surrounding hillsides and valleys, to be 
forever famous in the history and literature of the world, 
the regiment reached the vicinity of the town, after a 
wearisome night's march, at three o'clock in the morning of 
July 2, 1863; and at 4 P. M., in support of Bigelow's guns, 
became engaged with Kershaw's Brigade, Hood's Division, of 
Longstreet's Corps, in advance of the " Wheat Fields;" on the 
third — and on the fourth, the glorious anniversary of our 
nation's birth, I speak it with pride, they occupied and held 
" Round Top," the very spot where we are now assembled, 
which has been fitly chosen as the location for this monument. 
Memorable day! Historic spot! Hallowed ground! "Put 
off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou 
standest is holy ground." 

Let me add in a word, that the regiment which we honor 
to-day participated in thirty-four battles and skirmishes, many 
of them conspicuous battles of the war ; that they bravely 
endured the hardships of the tented field, — tlie weary march, — 
and the fire and smoke and carnage of the battle-field to the 
end of the conflict, and were present in the closing hours at 
Appomattox, when General Lee surrendered to the invincible 
chieftain. General Grant, composing part of the brigade that 
had the distinguished honor of being detailed to receive 
the surrendered arms and colors of the enemy. 



25 

Near the close of the diary kept by General Herring this 
brief but significant sentence is found : 

"April 12, 1865. At 5 A. M. moved out to receive the 
rebel arms and colors, occupied until i P. M. 84 battle-flags 
and 15,000 muskets were laid down in front of our brigade, 
which had the honor of receiving them." 

The regiment afterwards participated in the final review 
of the army at Washington, May 23, 1865 — the grandest 
spectacle in the world's history — a majestic column of citizen 
<^oldiers outnumbering the combined forces of Napoleon and 
Wellington at Waterloo, returning from the victorious battle- 
field, whereon the imperiled life of the Nation was saved by 
their valor, to receive the welcome plaudits and glad acclaim 
of a grateful people, there to " beat their swords into plough- 
shares, and their spears into pruning hooks," and enter again 
into the peaceful pursuits of civil life without even so much as 
a jar to the machinery of government, or a ripple of disturb- 
ance on the placid surface of society. Sublimity of grandeur ! 
Point me to the page of history that records anything approach- 
ing a parallel. The regiment was mustered out of the service 
June I, following. Of the 960 men originally mustered into the 
the service, — my heart saddens at the statement, — but 139 
reported for mustering out. In addition to the original num- 
ber, there were added to the regiment 456 recruits, making the 
total of 1,416 men. Of these there were killed and died 
in the service 205, wounded and disabled 500, missing in 
action 273. A regiment that numbered 978 among its killed, 
wounded and missing in battle, out of a total of 1,416, must 



26 

often have held the post of danger, which, it has been well said, 
is the post of honor. 

But enough ; I will only add that the members of the 
Association for which I speak to-day are proud of their con- 
nection with the regiment that bore their name, and of the 
reflected honor which comes to them from its glorious record. 
At the close of the war the survivors of the regiment deposited 
with the Corn Exchange, the worn and tattered battle-flag 
carried at Sheppardstown, and from there to Appomattox, 
which was afterwards presented by the Association to General 
Prevost, as its rightful custodian and guardian. In the course 
of his graceful speech of acceptance, in reply to the presen- 
tation remarks of President Hinchman, he did us the honor 
to say : " It is my duty, as well as pleasure, to say for myself 
and for my brother officers, that we feel that whatever char- 
acter we have made as soldiers, whatever distinction we have 
earned, we are largely indebted to this Association for giving 
us the opportunity. It was your patriotism and liberality that 
placed the Corn Exchange Regiment in the field ; and you 
gentlemen are sharers in the glory it earned. Nor did your 
liberality end here. Your donations were placed in the hands 
of such devoted men as Hoffman, Ward, Knecht, Hartranft, 
and others who were untiring in their devotion to the wounded 
and dying, and smoothed the path of many a brave fellow to 
the grave ; and widpws and orphans have reason to bless the 
Corn Exchange Association for your liberal donations dis- 
pensed by these gentlemen." 

In the course of a long and busy life, now drawing to its 
close, I have been honored by my friends and countrymen 
with positions of distinction and honor, for which I am pro- 



27 

foundly grateful ; but I do not hesitate to say here and now, 
that I am prouder of my long connection with the Corn Exchange 
Association, because of its unwavering devotion to the country 
in its hour of peril, and its broad and comprehensive charities 
then, and at all times, than of any other assoc-^ation of my life. 
May it ever maintain its exalted reputation for these sublime 
virtues. 

I have already intimated, that while speaking, as it seems 
necessary on this occasion, of the wickedness of the Rebellion, 
I have no desire to revive the bitterness born of the conflict. 
I would " let the dead past bury its dead " — but there is one 
root of discord remaining of which I needs must speak. 
There is still a skeleton in the national closet that must be 
removed, before the work for which we sacrificed a half a mil- 
lion of lives will be fully accomplished. 

I have spoken of the generous terms accorded to the con- 
quered South ; they are known and read of all men. When the 
question of the re-habilitation of the rebellious States was dis- 
cussed and determined upon by Congress, they were invited 
back to their normal condition of States in the Union, with the 
one single new condition that the freedom and manhood and 
citizenship and civil rights of the colored race, as provided 
for by the constitutional amendments, should be recognized, 
accorded and fairly carried out. This was a condition prece- 
dent to their resuming and enjoying their former rights and 
privileges of States in the Union, which had been forfeited by 
rebellion, and to this proposition every southern State by 
formal and solemn compact agreed. It was in the nature of 
a treaty stipulation, and I arraign the boasted chivalry of the 
South as recreant and unfaithful to their part of this solemn 



28 

and well-understood contract. The shot-gun policy of 
the South is matter of public notoriety. I do not claim 
that this is universal, I frankly and gladly admit that it is 
not. But the terrible scenes of Copiah and Danville are 
still altogether too common to be borne in patience. The 
fact is established beyond dispute, that in many localities the 
colored race are virtually deprived of their constitutional right 
of suffrage, by intimidation and violence — and the people of 
the South may be assured, that the liberty-loving men of 
the nation, friends of fair play and equal rights, will never 
be content until the full rights of all citizens, " without dis- 
tinction of race, color, or previous condition of servitude," 
are recognized and accorded — and that in electing our 
rulers, there shall be as free a ballot and as fair a count in 
South Carolina and Mississippi, as there is in Pennsylvania 
and New Jersey. I speak it in no partisan spirit, but as a 
lover of my country, desiring concord and harmony, when I 
say that, however much this may be resisted and however long 
delayed to the damage of the honor, and the detriment of the 
material interest of the South, " to this complexion they must 
come at last " — peaceably if they will, — forcibly if we must. 

" Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war." 
God grant that the gentle goddess may preside over the 
solution of this menacing problem, evolving harmony out of 
the discordant notes that now fill the air, by the removal of 
this, the only remaining obstacle to the return of fraternal 
relations throughout the length and breadth of the land. 
When that glad day shall dawn, then in all coming time, 
whatever complications may arise or whatever dangers 
threaten to disturb the tranquillity of the nation, we may trust- 



29 

ingly say, in the words which Buhver puts in the mouth of 
the old Cardinal Richelieu : 

" Take away the sword, 
States can be saved without it. 
Beneath the rule of men entirely great, 
The pen is mightier than the sword." 

And now, friends and fellow-citizens, let the purpose for 
which we have assembled be accomplished — let the veil be 
lifted from the monument, and as your eyes rest upon its 
graceful lines, and you read the inscription which tells its 
meaning and its purpose, let it kindle anew your grateful 
remembrance of the heroic dead, and your high appreciation 
of the work which they and their comrades accomplished. 

And here and now, on this sacred ground, gathering 
inspiration from the scene and the occasion, and the memories 
they invoke, let us renew our vows of fidelity to the principles 
of free government — the fatherhood of God and the brother- 
hood of man — and catching the spirit of the martyred Lincoln, 
" the noblest Roman of them all," join in the memorable and 
classic words uttered by him at the consecration of this 
national cemetery : " That from these honored dead we take 
increased devotion to the cause for which they here gave the 
last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that 
the dead shall not have died in vain ; that the nation shall, under 
God, have a new birth of freedom, and that the government of 
the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish 
from the earth." 

With faith in God and trust in the virtue and intelligence 
of the people, believing in the onward and upward progress 



30 

of humanity, let us cherish high hopes of the stability of our 
free institutions and the future glory of our country, and, 
casting to the winds all doubts and fears, 

" Believe with courage firm and faith sublime, 
That it shall stand, until the eternal morning 
Pales in its glories all the lights of time." 




